“I always felt like something was wrong, but I could never put my finger on it.”
“My child’s teacher told me to be patient and wait to see if he catches up.”
“My child is on the school’s waiting list for an evaluation, but it is a year away. Is there a way to get evaluated sooner?”
A level B assessment is a good alternative to a psych-ed or a neuropsychological evaluation, as it pinpoints gaps in a child’s learning and academic performance in reading, writing and math. This assessment uses standardized assessments and can be utilized by the child’s school and teachers. These assessments provide recommendations for classroom accommodations and remediations for the student and can be used by the child’s teacher, school psychologist, and others on the child’s school-based team. The assessor must hold a master’s degree in psychology or education and attain a Level B certificate through an accredited institution.
The differences between a Level B and psych-ed and neuropsychological assessments include fewer instruments in the battery of assessments (i.e., fewer tests), a faster return time from the assessment to the written report, and less strain financially for the family. A level B cannot, however, provide a medical diagnosis as it cannot measure cognitive function, which is necessary part of a diagnosis.
A discrepancy model is used to diagnose learning disabilities, which measure the gaps between cognitive function and academic performance. If scores are low in both cognitive and academic functions, then there may be a developmental delay or other cognitive impairment to learning. There are many other models for medical diagnoses, but discussion in these areas is beyond the scope of this article.
Overall, a level B assessment is a good choice for parents who wish to have a clearer picture of their child’s strengths and struggles and have a delineated pathway toward remediation.
EverfreeTLC offers Level B Assessments at a cost of $2500.
An academic assessment in literacy is an excellent choice for parents who worry that their child’s literacy development may lag behind their peers’. Like a Level B assessment, the assessor for these evaluations must hold a master’s degree in psychology or education and attain a Level B certificate through an accredited institution.
This is a shorter assessment focussing on targeted skill sets such as sound-to-letter correlation, letter recognition, phonemic awareness, reading fluency and comprehension, and other measures in literacy development.
EverfreeTLC offers Academic Assessments in Literacy at a cost of $250.
Parents can attain a psych-ed either through a school or privately through a registered psychologist. Psych-ed assessments conducted through a school are usually done through a school psychologist, whereas a private psych-ed or ‘neuropsych’ is undertaken by a registered psychologist. The difference is the level of education of the assessor.
A school psychologist usually holds a master’s degree in school psychology, and a registered psychologist holds a Ph.D., is registered through the College of Psychologists of BC and has a registration number. Because of the registration number, private psychological evaluations may be covered under “psychological services” in the parents’ extended insurance if they have it.
The benefit of a psych-ed through a school is that it is a no-cost option for families and can offer a designation through the BC Ministry of Education. This option allows your child to receive an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and access to school resources to help your child succeed academically. The disadvantage is that there is usually a long wait (up to a year or more) to attain the assessment.
On the other hand, psych-ed and neuro-psych assessments are conducted by registered psychologists. They can not only recommend ministry designations, but they can offer a medical diagnosis according to the DSM-V. This can be beneficial when applying for assistive technology for your child and possible tax incentives through the CRA to help fund therapeutic programs for your child. These assessments measure cognitive functions and academic performance and can help parents identify and better understand their child’s struggle with learning.
Pricing for private psychological and neuropsychological assessments ranges from $2,000 to $3,500+.
EverfreeTLC does not offer these assessments but can provide a list of local psychologists who offer these services.
